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Recruiting Update: March 9, 2015

Concord (CA) De La Salle center/defensive tackle Boss Tagaloa (image via Maxpreps.com)

One note before we get started is that Jim Harbaugh is littering the country with offers in the 2016 cycle. It’s unclear if/when the offers will slow down, but so far there are over 160 offers out for this cycle. By comparison, even after he tried to salvage the 2015 class, the Wolverines only offered 149 prospects. In fact, the last time Michigan offered this many prospects was during the 2012 cycle (LINK), when Brady Hoke offered 193 players. It would be surprising if Harbaugh did not obliterate that mark, considering the fact that we’re still about 11 months away from National Signing Day. One reason may be that Michigan is recruiting loads of players from California, Florida, and Texas. As we saw in the Rich Rodriguez days, that strategy can sometimes pay off but without the geographical connections, the hit rate is going to be much, much lower.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Mineola (TX) Mineola center Austin Anderson was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 285 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Kansas State, and TCU, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #67 offensive tackle, and #820 overall. Anderson is a punishing blocker with a good motor who does not have great length or athleticism, so despite being ranked as an offensive tackle, he is probably going to become an interior lineman at the next level. His father played for Southern Mississippi.

Mineola (TX) Mineola offensive guard Riley Anderson was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 285 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona State, Illinois, Kansas State, and TCU, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #69 offensive tackle, and #849 overall. You may have guessed by now that Austin and Riley are twins, and their rankings are pretty darn close, too. However, Riley has a little more length than Austin, and if he can’t stay on the edge, Riley might be able to play guard.

Lawrence (KS) Lawrence defensive end Amani “Moose” Bledsoe was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 270 lb. prospect with offers from Florida State, Kansas, Kansas State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Oklahoma, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #15 strongside end, and #226 overall. Bledsoe plays pretty high and looks pretty awkward when making tackles, so he looks raw but obviously has some size and athleticism.

Hit the jump for numerous other 2016 offers, a commitment elsewhere, and some random tidbits.

Trophy Club (TX) Byron Nelson defensive end Brandon Bowen was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Baylor, Oklahoma, TCU, and Texas, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #18 weakside end, and #272 overall. He claims a 4.58 forty. Bowen also plays receiver for his high school team, although he looks much better on the defensive side of the ball. However, he also looks pretty raw but shows some good athleticism.

Houston (TX) Stratford running back Rakeem Boyd was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’11”, 200 lb. prospect with offers from Houston, Missour, and West Virginia, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #24 running back, and #366 overall. As a junior in 2014, he ran 194 times for 1,996 yards and 24 touchdowns. Boyd is a bit of a power runner who shows excellent vision but just average speed. The school he attends is the alma mater of Andrew Luck, so Jim Harbaugh’s staff has previously developed relationship with the coaches there.

Fort Lauderdale (FL) American Heritage tight end Nick Eubanks was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’6″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Oregon, South Carolina, and USC, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #13 tight end, and #362 overall. As a junior in 2014, he caught 26 passes for 408 yards and 4 touchdowns. He plays wide receiver for his high school team and is very thin at this point, so the transition to tight end could be a process.

Salt Lake City (UT) Brighton wide receiver Simi Fehoko was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Stanford, Utah, and Washington, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #43 wide receiver, and #239 overall. Fehoko’s film shows a lot of blown coverages allowing him to score some long touchdowns, but he does show nice deep speed and reminds me of Drake Harris a little bit in the way he moves. Michigan has brought in fullback Sione Houma and defensive tackle Bryan Mone in recent years, both of whom went to Highland in Salt Lake City; but Michigan has also recruited Brighton, which produced 2015 linebacker Osa Masina (USC) and 2014 offensive tackle Jackson Barton (Utah).

Niceville (FL) Niceville safety Romeo Finley was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 183 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Florida, Miami, and South Carolina, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #10 safety, and #250 overall. He claims a 4.62 forty. As a junior in 2014, he made 50 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 10 pass breakups. Finley is a big-hitting strong safety type. He is also a teammate of wide receiver Elijah Stove, whom Michigan has also offered.

Fayetteville (NC) Sanford cornerback Mark Gilbert was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 170 lb. prospect with offers from Duke, North Carolina State, Pitt, and West Virginia, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #45 cornerback, and #514 overall. As a junior in 2014, he made 34 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 8 pass breakups. Gilbert is a long, lanky corner who looks like he might fit best as a zone coverage guy. I think he might struggle in man coverage and does not have great speed or fluidity.

Torrance (NC) North linebacker Mique Juarez, a USC commit, was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 210 lb. prospect who also holds offers from BYU, Cal, and Notre Dame, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #12 outside linebacker, and #132 overall. He claims a 4.67 forty. Juarez is an athletic, aggressive, hard-hitting kid who also plays quarterback, but he will almost certainly play defense at the next level. He looks to me like a weakside outside linebacker who can play coverage, hold the edge, and support the run.

Wichita (KS) East defensive end Xavier Kelly, a Kansas State commit, was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 225 lb. prospect with offers from Arkansas, Nebraska, and Texas Tech. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #28 weakside end, and #460 overall. He claims a 4.7 forty. Kelly shows some good aggression and athleticism. There have been indications that he will not end up signing with Kansas State, although Michigan is not necessarily a front-runner to flip him.

Ellenwood (GA) Cedar Grove linebacker Elysee Mbem-Bosse was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 232 lb. prospect with offers from Duke, Iowa, North Carolina State, Ole Miss, and Tennessee, among others. He is currently unranked. Mbem-Bosse looks like a 3-4 inside linebacker. Mbem-Bosse said upon his offer that he would like to visit Michigan this offseason.

La Puente (CA) Bishop Amat cornerback Trevon Sidney was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’11”, 160 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Miami, UCLA, and USC, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #10 wide receiver, and #74 overall. Sidney could probably play wide receiver or corner at the next level, but he probably looks like a more natural corner. Regardless, he’s a guy who might be able to contribute on both sides, as well as at kick returner, during his college career.

Concord (CA) De La Salle center Boss Tagaloa was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 295 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Missouri, Ole Miss, Stanford, and UCLA, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #11 defensive tackle, and #64 overall. Tagaloa is rather compact, but he has good foot quickness and is very powerful. Some schools are recruiting him as a defensive tackle, but Michigan has pitched to him the chance to play center with a little defensive tackle on the side. That is something I don’t know that I’ve seen at the college level in modern football. Tagaloa is a teammate of tight end Devin Asiasi, whom Michigan has also offered.

Portland (OR) Central Catholic linebacker LaMar Winston was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 200 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona State, Cal, Oregon, and Washington, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #27 outside linebacker, and #352 overall. Winston also plays wide receiver and could potentially be a tight end at the next level, but he looks more comfortable on defense. He’s a highly athletic player who could be a dynamic 3-4 outside linebacker.

OFF THE BOARD
Washington (DC) Gonzaga defensive end Terrell Hall committed to Ohio State.

MISCELLANEOUS
Kentwood (LA) Kentwood cornerback Shyheim Carter, an Alabama commit, received an offer from Michigan a couple weeks ago and said he intends to take an official visit to Michigan this coming fall.

Egg Harbor City (NJ) Cedar Creek wide receiver Ahmir Mitchell announced that Michigan is in his top six schools. Normally I don’t talk about top lists because they’re generally not newsworthy to me; however, Mitchell also said that the new staff is recruiting him for wideout, whereas Brady Hoke wanted Mitchell to play safety. Mitchell is a 247 Composite 4-star, the #5 athlete, and #89 overall for 2016.

Over on Recruiting Season, I added/updated several profiles:

• Novi (MI) Catholic Central offensive tackle Tom Kowalkoski committed to Western Michigan
• Detroit (MI) East English Village defensive end Cedrick Lattimore
• Farmington (MI) Farmington linebacker David Reese committed to Louisville

Spring Practice Bits and Pieces

Drake Harris

In the throes of spring practice, bits and pieces are leaking out. Here are some things to note that you may or may not have heard already.

The quarterbacks are a mixed bag. Various reports have suggested various things. Some people will tell you that Shane Morris looks the best. However, there’s more chatter about Wilton Speight and Alex Malzone. The buzz on Malzone is that he’s picking things up very quickly, which is impressive for a freshman early enrollee.

Jabrill Peppers is good and loud. Peppers is playing safety, and he has been raved about with regard to his athleticism and leadership. There will probably be growing pains, but Michigan hasn’t had a great athlete at safety in a while. Furthermore, senior linebacker Joe Bolden says that Peppers screams the defensive calls louder than necessary. The kid is high-energy and loves the game of football. Michigan has the potential for their best safety combination in a long time with senior Jarrod Wilson and Peppers back there.

Chase Winovich is working at fullback/tight end. The redshirt freshman, who is listed at 6’3″ and 230 lbs., has reportedly been playing some fullback and tight end this spring after being recruited as a linebacker. You may remember that he was a very effective running quarterback in high school, in addition to his defensive exploits. With the Wolverines failing to reel in Chris Clark (UCLA) in the 2015 class, the tight end position is a little thin. And with senior fullback Sione Houma missing spring practice due to injury, the team is limited there, too. Add in the fact that both of Michigan’s experienced fullbacks – Houma and Joe Kerridge – are seniors, and maybe Winovich’s move to offense will become permanent. He has supposedly been wearing #44, which is a change from his defensive number of #58. The catch here is that it thins the linebacking corps, which has four players with senior eligibility in 2015 (Desmond Morgan, James Ross III, Joe Bolden, Royce Jenkins-Stone) and needs bodies in the coming years. If Winovich sticks on offense, that might take away a key option for the 2016 season.

Brady Pallante is also a fullback. This was addressed last week. He’s a 6’0″, 276 lb. fullback wearing #45.

Everybody is a fullback. Except Terry Richardson.

The guys are bigger. Pretty much across the board, players have added weight. In particular, defensive tackle Willie Henry is up to 311 lbs. and Bryan Mone is up to 325 lbs. Those are not typically the numbers you look for in a penetrating, 3-tech defensive tackle. I would look for those two guys to be playing some nose tackle. Furthermore, there are some other size improvements with offensive tackle Logan Tuley-Tillman up to 309 lbs. and guard Graham Glasgow reaching 303 lbs. Tuley-Tillman was over 330 lbs. in high school, trimmed down to 285 at one point, and is now back up over the 300 lb. threshold. Linebackers Mike McCray II (242 lbs.), Ben Gedeon (241 lbs.), and Royce Jenkins-Stone (240 lbs.) are all larger than the typical Michigan linebacker over the last few years.

Practice tempo has increased. The practice tactic that’s en vogue these days is to maximize reps. Reports have said that Michigan has two lineups going in practice, and a play is being run every 25-35 seconds. Rather than making corrections on the field, corrections are made in film. This has been made easier in recent years with film able to be disseminated over the internet through Hudl and the like. It’s especially big for spread teams who like to run hurry-up, anyway. It’s not surprising that Harbaugh is adopting spread strategies even though he won’t run a typical spread offense; he seems to be the type of coach who is always looking for an edge.

Running back is still a question mark. While I believe the running game will improve this season, a number of factors go into that – coaching, experience on the offensive line, experience at running back, and the addition of Ty Isaac. However, Isaac has reportedly been limited due to a cast on his hand, and none of the running backs are sticking out right now. Of course, early practices are always dominated by the defense, so this doesn’t necessarily mean much. Personally, I believe Isaac will come out on top at some point.

Wide receivers have promise. Most of the buzz has been about redshirt freshman Maurice Ways, Jr., whose body is ready for playing at this level. One question mark about Ways has always been his hands, so that will be something to watch. Regardless, he might have the best combination of receiving qualities at this point – size, leaping ability, speed, etc. As I’ve mentioned before, he has some of those same traits that we saw in some of the greats of yesteryear (Marquis Walker, David Terrell, Braylon Edwards). That’s not to say Ways will add his name to that list, but he at least has a chance, in my opinion. Fellow redshirt freshman Drake Harris has also been impressive at times. Harris has missed most of the past two seasons due to injuries, and he’s listed at just 174 lbs. People express concern about his size, but I am not worried about that facet of his game. If he’s as good as his high school hype when it comes to speed and leaping ability, playing under weight won’t hamper him from having an effect on the team. Wide receiver size is overrated. It might be the one spot on the field where you find successful guys ranging from 5’8″ to 6’5″, and you have skinny guys (Roy Roundtree, Tavon Austin, DeSean Jackson) doing well just like big guys (Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Devin Funchess). If Harris is 6’4″, 174 lbs., and can ball, the most important part of that is the third part.

Visitors: March 6-8, 2015

Fort Wayne (IN) Bishop Luers wide receiver Austin Mack (image via 247Sports.com)

There are some other prospects who will potentially be visiting Ann Arbor this weekend, but Mack is the only one that I know of who has set a solid unofficial visit. I will add more to the list if/when I get the word.

Austin Mack – WR – Fort Wayne (IN) Bishop Luers: Mack is a 6’2″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #26 wide receiver, and #122 overall. As a junior in 2014, he caught 69 passes for 1,062 yards and 15 touchdowns. Mack was high on the Wolverines when they first offered, but the Fighting Irish and the Buckeyes seem to have jumped ahead since. He seemed to fall off Michigan’s radar for a bit when the 2014 season started going south, but Jim Harbaugh’s hiring may be able to re-ignite that original spark.

Video: Tim Drevno talks offensive line, offense

Indiana Recruiting Snapshot: March 2015

Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha defensive back Tyler Green

2015 Team Ranking: #51

Cream of the 2015 Crop: Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha safety Tyler Green (#532 overall in the 247 Composite) is a one-time Ohio State Buckeye commit who decommitted in December. He ended up signing with the Hoosiers, and with Michigan struggling at safety, I had hoped that the Wolverines might throw their hat in the ring. Green is big at 6’3″, 195 lbs. and might end up as a linebacker. Indiana also signed JUCO wide receiver Camion Patrick, the #53 junior college prospect, out of East Mississippi Community College.

2016 Team Ranking: N/A. The Hoosiers have yet to receive a commitment in the 2016 class.

Cream of the 2016 Crop: N/A.